Corset-clasp.



PATENTED APR. 14, 1903 S. KENNEDY.

CORSET CLASP.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 22. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

Q VWM 0/6600 u wpsumom e, n c

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

SYLVESTER KENNEDY, OF DERBY, CONN ECTICUT.

CORSET -CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Eaten!) N 0. 725,258, dated April 14, 1903.

Application filed May 22, 1902 Serial No. 108,495. (No modeld To all whom, it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, SYLvEsTER KENNEDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Derby, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corset- Clasps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates in general to garmentfasteners, but more particularly to the class of corset-clasps, and has for its purpose the formation of a simple yet secure and safe fastener for said garments. It is common in devices for this purpose that the sudden bringing together of the corset-busks to which the device is attached by movements of the body unfastens the clasp, the stud springing out of the eye,causingdiscomfortandinconvenience to the wearer. To avoid these disadvantages, devices have been made, but as a rule complicated, being extremely difficult to both fasten and unfasten and cause much needless effort on the part of the user. Itis the purpose of my invention to obviate these disadvantages by providing a most simple device which can be' readily fastened and unfastened, but which when once fastened is absolutely secure from unexpected or accidental loosening.

Other advantages of my invention will appear as I proceed with the description of my device which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front plan view of the eye or socket attached to a corset-husk; Fig. 2, a rear plan view of the eye or socket attached to a corset-husk; Fig. 3, a side view of the stud attached to the opposite corset-husk, and Fig. 4 a plan view of a variation of my device in which the metal or wire socket is attached by means of rivets; Fig. 5, an edge view of the socket member of the clasp shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings, a a are the busksections; 1?, the headed pin secured to section a. The socket or eye forming member 0 consists of a single piece of metal bent to form a large stud-head entrance-opening d and a small stud-holding opening 6. From the point of attachment to the busk the ends of the socket member are bent back and carried within the body of the socket substantially parallel with said body, so as to form springfingers ff. These fingers are in the same plane with the body of the socket and are separated from the body by a space sufficient to permit the fingers to yield laterally to the extent necessary to allow the stud-shank to be forced between the same. Undue projection of the fingers above the socket member or yielding at an angle to the plane of the socket is thus obviated and a perfectly flat springsocket obtained. The fingers converge at the beginning of the stud-holding opening 6, and their endsg approach so closely as to form a contracted passage z', through which the stud-shank must be forced in order to pass it into the stud-holding opening e. The ends of the fingers act as a stop to prevent the return of the stud to the large opening g. The fingers thus constitute a springlock to prevent the accidental displacement or disengagement of the stud. At the point where the metal is bent back upon itself the bent portions 7c are inserted into the husk-- section and compressed or mashed down to form attaching means, as indicated at "a n, or rivets may be used without bending in and inserting the metal into the husk-section, as shown in Fig. 4.

The operation of the device is as follows: The husk-section Ct, bearing the headed stud b, is brought under busk a, so that the stud enters opening d, and is then drawn through passage *6 into the small opening 9, where said stud b is held from unfastening by means of its head j and the converged ends 9 g of the spring-fingersff, thus forming a perfect and secure fastening.

It is thus seen that by my invention a onepiece socket is obtained, doing away with the necessity of sheared out eyes projecting above the body of the clasp and forming sockets and raised or riveted on spring-fingers, as

are used in some of the devices heretofore employed," while my device afiords a simple but most efiective fastening.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a clasp, in combination with a stud member, a socket member formed of a single piece of metal bent inward at its closed end to form a contracted stud-holding portion and bent back within itself to form spring-fingers, said fingers extending around the wider portion of the socket which forms the stud-head entrance, and having their free ends converging to near the contracted stud-holding portion, thereby forming a contracted passage, whereby after the. stud has been pushed through said passage, the fingers form a spring-lock to hold the stud in the contracted part of the socket, substantially as described.

' 2. In a clasp, in combination with a stud member, a socket member consisting of a single piece of metal bent to leave a large studreceiving opening and, at its outer end, a contracted stud-holding opening, and having its free ends doubled back within the socket, forming spring-fingers which extend into the socket and form a lock for the stud, said fingers lying in the same plane with the body portion inclosing the same, and separated from said body portion, whereby the fingers yield laterally to admit the stud, substantially as described.

3. In a corset-clasp, in combination with a stud member, a corset-husk, a socket member consisting of a single piece of metal bent and doubled to form a large receiving-opening and a contracted stud-holding opening, and having spring-fingers extending into the body of the socket and their ends forming a stop to prevent the return of the stud, the ends of the socket member where doubled being bent at an angle and clenched to the busk, said busk provided with holes to receive said clenched ends, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SYLVESTER KENNEDY.

Witnesses:

JAMES F. EGAN, JOHN .T. LORDAN. 

